Football News: 7-23-2026
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Dudley Dent
Jul 23, 2026, 7:16:44 AM (3 days ago) Jul 23
to Tiger Tracks
Auburn Football News: 7-23-2026
'I just want to be Byrum Brown': Auburn's new QB makes his unofficial SEC debut:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/byrum-brown-auburn-tigers-football-sec-media-days-2026-288454226/
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown shares Cam Newton's advice ahead of Tigers debut:
https://flywareagle.com/auburn-quarterback-byrum-brown-shares-cam-newton-advice-ahead-tigers-debut
Our favorite quotes from Auburn players at SEC Media Days:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/longformarticle/auburn-tigers-football-sec-media-days-quotes-2026-288453275/#2843442
Auburn football notebook: Alex Golesh outlined his offseason observations at SEC Media Days:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/07/auburn-football-notebook-alex-golesh-outlined-his-offseason-observations-at-sec-media-days.html
Alex Golesh faces Auburn's harsh recruiting reality in rebuild:
https://flywareagle.com/alex-golesh-faces-auburn-harsh-recruiting-reality-rebuild
Auburn Kicker Alex McPherson Details Culture Change From 2025 to 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-kicker-alex-mcpherson-details-culture-change-from-2025-to-2026
Byrum Brown Talks Importance of USF Transfer Receivers for Auburn Football in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/byrum-brown-talks-importance-of-usf-transfer-recievers-for-auburn-football-2026
Byrum Brown Shares His Definition of a Successful Auburn Football Season:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/byrum-brown-shares-his-definition-of-a-successful-auburn-football-season
How Byrum Brown is adjusting to the increased attention at Auburn:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/07/how-byrum-brown-is-adjusting-to-the-increased-attention-at-auburn.html
For a freshman, Auburn's DeShawn Spencer just 'looks different':
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/deshawn-spencer-auburn-football-wide-receiver-freshman-2026-288459486/
Auburn's Champ Anthony says being healthy is one of his goals for 2026:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/07/22/sec-media-days-auburn-football-champ-anthony-health/91001563007/
Auburn Commit Wins Kicking National Champion Honors:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-commit-wins-kicking-national-champion-honors-noah-ash
‘He’s the heartbeat of our defense:’ Champ Anthony Talks Auburn DC DJ Durkin:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/he-s-the-heartbeat-of-our-defense-champ-anthony-talks-dj-durkin
A top Auburn candidate, Sumrall says it was 'non-negotiable' to continue coaching Tulane:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/jon-sumrall-florida-auburn-coaching-search-2026-288456896/
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
Byrum Brown could not hide his excitement — the kind that would overtake any quarterback who grew up watching Cam Newton — when he got to meet the Auburn legend, national champion and Heisman winner before a spring scrimmage in late March.
Newton jokingly snuck up behind Brown before embracing him, with Alex Golesh mediating. Newton is one of the most physically impressive athletes to ever play the position in college football, but standing side by side, Brown doesn't give up much size to him.
What Newton said to Auburn's new QB that day was simple. But for Brown, it was profound, and it reinforced his mindset about his opportunity in his final college season.
"Go out there and be you," Brown recalled of Newton's message. "Go be a dog like you were (at USF), and you'll lead this team to wins, too.
Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Brown fielded a lot of his questions about his time at USF and how he thinks that can translate to the Power Four level. With most people seeing him in person for the first time, a reporter in the main room called him "baby Cam." Another reporter asked him if he thinks his skill set compares to Jalen Hurts.
Brown took all those questions in stride, nodding and flashing his signature smile. But after three seasons of starting in Golesh's offense, he knows who he is at this point. And although the challenge of transferring in to Auburn and the SEC is large, Brown only knows one way to go about it.
"I just want to be Byrum Brown," said Auburn's fifth-year senior QB. "That's all I can be. I want to be the best version of him."
Brown has assimilated the best way he can. Golesh took him out on the road just a few weeks after he arrived on campus to meet Auburn alumni at events across the state. He's tried the Toomer's lemonade and called it "phenomenal." He was a no-doubt selection to represent the team at media days and will surely be a team captain. As Auburn has desperately craved a dynamic quarterback after years of suffering on offense, Brown has rapidly (and expectedly) become one of, if not the most popular player on this new team.
Brown spent time Tuesday talking about what USF meant to him, playing for four years down the road at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa became his new home after growing up in North Carolina, it's where he met Golesh, and where he made a name for himself as a college quarterback.
But make no mistake: Brown is all Auburn.
"I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet," Brown said. "... You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
Auburn fans aren't the only ones excited to, presumably, have more competent QB play.
"He's the most quarterback quarterback I've ever been around," defensive back Champ Anthony said. "He walks, talks and does everything like a quarterback. … I don't even have to look at the offensive side of the ball. I don't have to. I know Byrum is gonna have them straight. I just really can't wait to see him play."
Anthony then smiled: "I'm a fan, too."
Brown's numbers at the USF level were undeniably great. Last season, he became one of only 12 players in college football history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 more in a single season. He's the maestro of Golesh's offense, and has been since 2023.
But steady growth has been key for Brown in his career, particularly as a passer, and that had to continue at Auburn. He was an immediate spark and leader in the spring, but he also had a clunky A-Day spring game, with two interceptions. Of course, he was in a non-contact jersey and could be tagged down by a defensive lineman's pinky.
Golesh said he's only grown more confident about Brown's abilities this offseason. Brown said that's directly correlated to his new team.
"Knowing that I'm going against the best defense in the country every single day — not everybody has the opportunity," Brown said."I can't wait to go on Saturdays and play against another defense, because they give us some looks that are fun at times and not fun at times.
"But it's truly a blessing. And I think going against the best defense in the country helps you build confidence every single day."
Wondering how a heavily USF-flavored offense — with Golesh and coordinator Joel Gordon working in tandem to run the system, plus other assistant coaches and 11 transfers — will be able to produce against SEC competition every week is a worthwhile question.
But the Tigers have more familiarity on that side of the ball than even some teams and coaching staffs that were already in the conference. For Brown — who said the word "process" approximately 1,000 times Tuesday — he finds comfort in knowing all Golesh is asking him to do at Auburn is be who he is and who he's been for three years.
"It's about doing the exact same thing and the exact same process week to week," Brown said. "What we were doing at the last institution is exactly what we'll be doing at this new institution. Much larger scale, but it's football at the end of the day."
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Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown shares Cam Newton's advice ahead of Tigers debut
By Mary Kate Hughes
Fly War Eagle
After five years of mediocre football and the apparent inability to find a quarterback that can get the job done, Auburn football fans are hopeful that things will change and improve with the arrival of Byrum Brown.
The former USF quarterback is heading into his fourth season under head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, so while a lot of the team will have to learn a new offensive system, things should be very familiar to Brown. Brown's knowledge of Golesh's and Gordon's system, plus Brown's documented success last season at USF, are just a couple reasons why fans are so hopeful that Brown will lead the Tigers to victory.
But if he's feeling the pressure, Brown didn't show it at SEC Media Days earlier this week. He pointed to advice from a legend, former Auburn football quarterback and Heisman winner Cam Newton, to show how he's approaching his job on the Plains.
"Go out there and be you," Brown recalled of Newton's message, per Auburn 247. "Go be a dog like you were (at USF), and you'll lead this team to wins, too.
The pair met when Newton visited Auburn for a scrimmage earlier this spring, and Brown has drawn many comparisons to Newton as the media discuss his transition from USF to Power 4 football. But Brown is staying true to himself and taking Newton's advice to heart ahead of his Auburn Tigers debut and final season of college football.
"I just want to be Byrum Brown," said Auburn's fifth-year senior QB. "That's all I can be. I want to be the best version of him."
From trying the famous Toomer's Lemonade to hitting the road with Golesh to meet with alumni to taking photos with fans during appearances at Auburn baseball games earlier in the summer, Brown has done his best to fully embrace the Auburn culture and become part of the Auburn family. Although Brown says that USF was instrumental in his development as a player, he's all in on the Tigers.
"I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet," Brown said. "... You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
Brown and Golesh will get their first chance to prove themselves to the Auburn family in Atlanta when the Tigers take on the Baylor Bears on September 5.
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Our favorite quotes from Auburn players at SEC Media Days
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
It's difficult not to have a successful time at SEC Media Days, and Auburn's representation in Tampa — quarterback Byrum Brown, defensive back Champ Anthony and kicker Alex McPherson — exuded confidence on Tuesday about the state of the program under new head coach Alex Golesh.
Here's a collection of some of our favorites from Auburn's trio, exactly two weeks before the start of fall camp in the first week of August.
QB BYRUM BROWN
On what it means to him to be Auburn's new quarterback …
"(Kodi Burns) played receiver and quarterback and was on the national championship team with Cam. He's expressed that Auburn means something. I've had conversations with him about it. It truly means something to him. To be a part of that now, it means something to me. So I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet."
On already having played some Power Four teams at USF …
"It will for sure help. Now it's about doing the exact same thing and the exact same process week to week. What we were doing at the last institution is exactly what we'll be doing at this new institution. Much larger scale, but it's football at the end of the day."
On beating Florida on the road last season …
"To pull it out was incredible. It was early in the season, and it allowed us to have that level of confidence the rest of the way. It added confidence to each and every single day, knowing that any game is within reach, especially if you stick to your process."
On Alex Golesh inviting former players back …
"We get a little insight on how other guys viewed their time at Auburn and as Auburn men. It definitely puts things into perspective. You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
On how he's grown from the first day he got to Auburn …
"The confidence level's growing a tremendous amount. You got a tremendous defense that we go against each and every day at practice. So seeing those looks and becoming confident in those looks, and knowing that I'm going against the best defense in the country every single day, not everybody has the opportunity. I can't wait to go on Saturdays and play against another defense, because they give us some looks that are fun at times and not fun at times. But it's truly a blessing. And I think going against the best defense in the country helps you build confidence every single day."
On transferring from USF …
"Coach Golesh, he's had a tremendous amount of confidence in me since I was 18. Handed the reins over to me. And then (when) I got hurt, he poured into me even more, had more confidence in me. I mean, when you go through the ups and go through the downs, having a coach that's being there by your side, it means a lot. And I definitely took that into consideration. And why not go play for the man that has demanded the very best of me since I got there?"
On what a successful season looks like for Auburn …
"A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best and going out there and playing and — we don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome. Hopefully it's a favorable one, but it's just working each and every day, and that started in January. And it's continuing now, going to continue into fall camp."
DB CHAMP ANTHONY
On his position versatility in Auburn's secondary …
"It's a week-by-week thing. I play where I'm needed that week. Different teams have different schemes, and they run plays different ways. And I have a skill set to where I can play all five. I can play boundary, free, star and corner. So wherever I'm needed at that week, that's where I'll play."
On Auburn's 2025 signees in the secondary ...
"It's not very often you see three freshmen get real burn, especially at DB. DB is a hard position and we had three freshmen that got real burn last year. Blake going down on third downs, AnQuon started a couple of games, and Eric started a couple games too. And those guys have just taken a real huge leap and they got stronger, bigger and faster. So I can't wait to see them guys succeed."
On his journey from JUCO to Auburn, with injuries along the way ...
"It's crazy, but I always knew I was going to be here. I always knew. In my heart of hearts I knew I was going to be playing on the biggest stage in college football and eventually playing in the NFL. I just thank God for allowing me to be able to make it and see through my dreams."
On why he stayed at Auburn through another coaching change ...
"When I first got recruited here, Coach Crime was like the main person who recruited me. He told me, 'If you treat Auburn right, Auburn will treat you right — and you'll be set for the rest of your life.' And I truly believe that, and I've seen it in other people's lives. The people that I have met, the things I've learned here at Auburn, I wouldn't have learned them any other place. I wouldn't have it any other way. Just because you're going through some stuff doesn't mean you've got to change your scenery."
On his role in the secondary ...
"Somebody's gotta do the hard hitting. My goal in every game is make the first crack. Who's gonna pop something first? That's my goal going into every game. Having a violent secondary, it makes receivers and running backs and everybody feel uncomfortable. You gotta have some guys out there who really enjoy putting pain on people."
On Sylvester Smith-Reed and Kaleb Harris both being back at safety ...
"Those two guys, they don't get enough life. Like, Auburn family, we've got to show them a lot more love. Kaleb Harris, like, he is the general back there. He runs the defense back there. Yeah, people see me as a vocal leader and all that. But Juke (Harris)? He's the guy who makes sure the defense is lined up. He makes sure the checks are going on. He's a very vocal leader. And Sly, he just brings that energy. Me and Sly are always racing to the first play. We're always seeing who's getting to the ball first, who's making the biggest hit, who's making the most splash plays. That competitiveness right there with all three of us, and then we've got some young guys are coming up right under us who are ready to go — they're ready to go, too."
On his impressions of Alex Golesh ...
"Coach Golesh is my type of guy — not afraid to say whatever, not afraid to do whatever. And he allows me to say whatever and do whatever. He has that fire. Everybody has that fire. We've got something to prove, and we're ready to prove it together. It's not one guy trying to go get one thing; it's a bunch of guys trying to get it. I really appreciate Coach Golesh and the fire he brought back to Auburn. I know you hear it in interviews, and I know you hear it like I do. When you combine him with a guy like Coach Durkin, with maximum energy every single day — he's probably somewhere yelling right now. You put those two together, it's a great scene we're gonna have."
K ALEX MCPHERSON
On where his strength is at right now ...
"I would say whatever they really need me out there for, I think I can do it at this point. We kicked yesterday before I actually got on the plane to come here, and we made a 60-yarder as a unit. So I think wherever you need me, I think at this point I'm confident in from kicking, distance-wise. And just excited to have that strength back."
On his reaction to being selected for media days ...
"I was kind of shocked. I don't think many kickers or punters get to do this. I was honored and just so grateful to be able to come and that he would trust me to represent this team. And just a huge honor. He told me I deserved it, and building that relationship with Coach Golesh, getting to really know him and his family over these past few months since he's gotten there, and it's such an honor — coming from him especially. He holds the players to a high standard. And to be able to represent us here is just such an honor."
On new special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski ...
"Coach Bro is a guy that's going to get you fired up to play special teams, which I don't think many guys can do. And he's going to put the best guys out there that can make the plays. And he just brings an excitement piece to special teams. And he's actually different. He's a specialist coach as well. He's not another positions coach. He does special teams and then he coaches us, the kickers, punters and snappers. So having him around the whole time, it's different. It's really cool to kind of pick his brain on why we do things instead of just do it."
On competing with the entire team in workouts ...
I" just knew that this offseason was a big offseason for me. I knew I needed to get bigger and stronger. And I just kind of wanted to do everything else that everybody else was doing. It's also a new staff, new team. You kind of want to prove that you belong there, you know? And I feel like that's kind of what I was trying to do. I was just glad to be able to do that. I wasn't able to do that some of the off seasons. Just to be able to be out there, I was just grateful for the opportunity to work out and run with the guys."
On his motivation while recovering from his illness ...
"I would say just playing with your guys. You hang out with them every day, you're always around them, you're always with them. And when you can go out there and play with them alongside of them and for them, it's kind of what keeps you going. I think just to be able to get back out there and try and play with them again is kind of one thing that kept me going."
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Auburn football notebook: Alex Golesh outlined his offseason observations at SEC Media Days
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football coach Alex Golesh emphasized the importance of the Tigers’ 15 practices leading up to the Aflac Kickoff Game against Baylor.
With players reporting for fall camp on Aug. 4, Golesh reflected at SEC Media Days on several trends he has seen from his team during the spring and summer.
Here are Golesh’s three offseason takeaways:
Leadership emerging ahead of fall camp
Auburn has not officially announced its team captains for the fall season. However, Golesh has kept track of the players who are trending in that direction as leaders of the team.
“Risen as a leader — I think we’ve continued to try to enhance the guys that we kind of thought. I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t still pushing guys," Golesh said.
When asked about which players have risen as leaders, Golesh listed players on both offense and defense.
“I think Byrum has come into his own, more and more. Offensively, Cole Best continues to be a really, really good leader for us. Kind of always has been. Chas Nimrod has come out of his shell, which I think is awesome to see. I think he’s realizing, ‘Man, I’ve got one more year.’
“Defensively, Rayshawn Pleasant has grown so much as a leader. He’s gotten more and more confidence, so he’s been able to speak up more and lead by example. Cody Sigler continues to lead by example. So, I would say those guys have stood out.”
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas impressing coaches
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas has drawn more praise from Golesh this week at media days than any other player.
Playing more as a rotation player in 2025, Deas finished his freshman campaign with 12 tackles and two tackles for loss while also showing off his elite coverage abilities on the outside.
Golesh believes the work he’s seen from Deas this summer will pay off tremendously come fall camp.
“When the coaches get away and you see guys organically start to grow, it’s been cool to see. Like a Bryce Deas — he’s got some really cool leadership ability, and he’s gotten more confidence," Golesh said. “At the same time, he’s had an incredible summer in the weight room. You’re starting to see all of that come together.”
Players building chemistry through offseason activities
As SEC commissioner Greg Sankey introduced Golesh at media days, he mentioned how the Tigers coach has a lake behind his new home in Auburn.
When talking about the team’s connectivity this summer, Golesh talked about how his home has served as a gathering place for players to build their relationships.
“As a whole, I’ve seen them, more than anything, come together this summer,” Golesh said. “That’s the part that I think you’re nervous about, going into Year 1, because you really don’t know how it’s going to navigate.
“Summer really is the time where they have more time. They have time to kind of make a choice of what do I do when workouts are over? Go home, play the game? Or grab a couple of guys and — as much as I don’t want them to go shoot hoops — go shoot hoops. Go fish. Had a bunch of them in my backyard fishing. You’re start to see different guys getting together or going and grabbing lunch together."
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Alex Golesh faces Auburn's harsh recruiting reality in rebuild
By Mary Kate Hughes
Fly War Eagle
The Auburn football program is on a rebuilding mission, and it's no secret that new head coach Alex Golesh had a great challenge in front of him when he took the job on the Plains.
Golesh knew that Auburn football fans were hungry for success, and that he was going to have to convince recruits that success could, in fact, be found on the Plains. But the extent of his challenge only hit him when he got on the road to start recruiting in high schools.
"That's where it really hit me," Golesh said Tuesday at SEC media days, per ESPN. "When I'm talking to a high school junior, the last time Auburn had a winning season, the kid was in sixth grade."
Since starting his tenure with the Tigers, Golesh has been realistic but optimistic when it comes to talking about the rebuild. Only so much can be expected from a first-year staff who mostly inherited its first recruiting class and must work to transition the culture, the playbook and more before the season starts in the fall.
But Golesh has insisted he only took the job on the Plains in the first place because he believes that Auburn is a program that can be returned to the relevance and glory of the past.
"How many other places can say that there's still 88,000 in the stadium every week through that?" Golesh said in a previous Fly War Eagle article. "How many places can say there's 40,000 for a spring game after all of that? Are the fans tired? Yeah, they're tired. I have met with every big money donor in the last six months, and man, they're tired. They're sick of it. But they're still willing to help. They're still willing to be involved, which is why I took this job — because I felt like you genuinely can do it."
While the head coach had a little more flexibility with his rebuild timeline at South Florida, Golesh said he's aware of the impatience on the Plains.
"My mindset is I want to do it for the long haul, where at [USF] we tried to set it up to peak in Year 3, 4, 5," Golesh said. "But I think I feel just a hair more pressure to peak earlier than that."
The first Auburn football game of the Golesh era will kick off on September 5 when the Tigers take on the Baylor Bears in Atlanta.
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Auburn Kicker Alex McPherson Details Culture Change From 2025 to 2026
By Griffin Barfield
Auburn Tigers on SI
In a world where it’s easy to change programs, Auburn kicker Alex McPherson is the outlier.
He’s been with the Tigers for all of his collegiate career, setting foot on the Plains in 2022. Since then, McPherson has seen three head coaches look to bring the program back to its old standard.
But something is different this time around with head coach Alex Golesh. Players see the energy that he is looking to put into the building, and the kicker noticed that immediately.
“I think we've built a great foundation for the brotherhood of this team,” he said at SEC Media Days, “and I think going into this fall camp it's going to be huge for us to continue to build that and just the relationships with each other and with the coaches.”
The relationship between McPherson and Golesh is one that is already close-knit. It’s not often that a special teams player is selected to an event like SEC Media Days, which took place in Tampa, Fla., but Golesh thought differently about his kicker.
It told McPherson a lot about the person that his head coach is, more importantly.
“He told me I deserved it, and building that relationship with Coach Golesh, getting to really know him and his family over these past few months since he's gotten there, and it's such an honor,” he said, “coming from him especially.”
The SEC will bring ups and downs to Auburn in Golesh’s inaugural season, but McPherson believes that his team can compete with the best in the conference. Coming from last season, former head coach Hugh Freeze continued to bring in top high school talent and supplemental transfer pieces helped aid that.
Auburn couldn’t put it all together, which led to his firing. However, with Golesh, the bonds make for a higher floor in 2026.
“I would just say the relationship part of the team,” McPherson said. ‘I think we have the talent. Coach AG and the rest of the staff have really pushed the relationship piece of it.”
The Tigers’ schedule is filled with loaded opponents, including a season-opener against Baylor in Atlanta that could define how Auburn is looked at for the remainder of the season. Golesh spoke about what his goals are for his inaugural season, and McPherson will be one of the team’s leaders to help embody that.
“Just to be able to hold one another accountable, lift one another up, things like that,” he said.
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Byrum Brown Talks Importance of USF Transfer Receivers for Auburn Football in 2026
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
The Auburn Tigers underwent a mass exodus after Hugh Freeze was fired in 2025, losing three of the ‘Freeze Four,’ a top-rated group of receivers that were recruited by Freeze and were expected to be the future of Auburn’s receiving core.
Alex Golesh, the Tigers’ newest head coach, reloaded the room in something of a rush early in his tenure, filling the room with five USF transfers.
Of course, Golesh has been the head coach at USF for the past few seasons, so his receivers are already familiar with his scheme, his expectations and, potentially most importantly, his quarterback, Byrum Brown. On Tuesday, during SEC Media Days, Brown detailed the importance of the new-look Auburn receiving core.
“It's huge,” he said. “With our guys, you put it anywhere, they go get it. I mean, they've been working their tails off. They've been in the weight room. They've been on the JUGS. They're going up watching extra film. You can tell that they really want it. It's one cohesive unit. It's not just one guy; it's more than one. So they're bringing others along with it. And that's building that connection and that trust piece. So that trust from quarterback to wide receiver is huge.”
Golesh didn’t bring over just any receivers, either; he brought over four of the Bulls’ top-five recievers by total yards past year, including both of the top two. Last year, the Bulls’ room was led by Keshaun Singleton, who hauled in 50 Byrum Brown passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns, good for an average of 17.5 yards per reception.
The Bulls’ second-leading receiver, Jeremiah Koger, also made the trip to the Plains ahead of this season. Last year, he caught 38 passes for 597 yards, averaging 15.7 yards per reception while tying Singleton in total touchdowns with eight. Mudia Rueben, the Bulls’ WR3, did not make the trip to the Plains, but WR4 and WR5 by total stats, Chas Nimrod and Christian Neptune, are now sporting the orange and blue.
Nimrod, specifically, has high expectations headed into the season by way of his quarterback, who asserted that Nimrod will break 1,000 receiving yards in this season alone, a feat that has not been achieved by an Auburn receiver since 1999. This goes to show the connection between Brown and Nimrod, as well as his other receivers, runs deep and should make a massive impact on the Tigers’ season this year, particularly in Golesh’s high-flying offense.
The biggest advantage of bringing over a host of transfers from the same program is the fact that there is a high level of familiarity with the scheme, the coaching staff and each other, so, despite the widespread fear among fans that this group will not be able to acclimate to the SEC, the team’s confidence seems to be off the charts headed into 2026.
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Byrum Brown Shares His Definition of a Successful Auburn Football Season
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
Amidst all the news about the Auburn Tigers, from transfers to recruiting to preseason narratives, one fact remains unchanged: the Tigers have not put together a winning season since 2020, a whole two coaches ago.
Alex Golesh, the latest head coach of the Tigers, is looking to change that, though his definition of success for 2026 is to build a foundation, not necessarily become a contender right away.
However, his quarterback, Byrum Brown, is in his final year of eligibility, meaning he will not be able to reap the benefits of the foundation his team sets in 2026. So, how does he define success in his first season in the SEC?
On Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Brown shared his thoughts on the topic.
“A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best and going out there and playing,” he said. “We don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome. Hopefully it's a favorable one, but it's just working each and every day, and that started in January. And it's continuing now, going to continue into fall camp. And we can't wait to strap it up in fall camp, strap it up for the first week against Baylor and go play.”
Not only is this a great mindset from Brown in terms of winning, but it is also an incredibly selfless one as, essentially, he is looking to provide as much of an impact as he can, both on the field as a player but also off the field as a leader, bolstering the foundation that Golesh has preached over the last few months.
That is not to say the Tigers are not expecting to win games– after all, that is what Golesh needs to do to stay employed–and they certainly have a great lineup to take on any team, in the SEC or anywhere else. Brown is at the center of it all offensively, in both the rushing game and the passing game, and he has proven to be a credible threat in just about any aspect on offense.
Brown passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards last season at USF, a trend that he is surely looking to continue in the SEC. It won’t be easy, but he already has better help than he did last season, especially in the rushing game, which is bolstered by Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington.
So, though Brown is not necessarily focused on running the table in 2026, he is certainly committed to making sure he and his teammates enter each and every game at their peak, ready and waiting to take on any threat that comes their way.
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How Byrum Brown is adjusting to the increased attention at Auburn
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
In front of bright lights and a large crowd of reporters, Byrum Brown took his seat inside the ballroom of the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
It was the final stop of his busy Tuesday at SEC Media Days, but the one that best illustrated the jump in attention he now receives at Auburn compared to his previous school, South Florida.
Brown sat down and greeted the crowd of media members before answering 20 minutes’ worth of questions about every Auburn football topic imaginable.
It marked the end of his first experience on the big stage that being in the SEC brings. Brown spent the last four years playing college football in Tampa, but he might have received more media attention on Tuesday than he did throughout the course of his USF career.
During his media scrum in the main room, Brown was asked about that change. More specifically, he was asked about the idea of increased pressure playing at Auburn compared to USF.
Brown described the change as an increase in attention, but not necessarily pressure.
“I’m just gonna continue to do everything that I’ve been doing for the past four years,” Brown said. “It’s just more eyes on it now, seeing it, so I can’t wait.”
That extra attention went into what Brown said surprised him most since coming to Auburn: the fans.
Compared to a commuter school in the American Conference, Auburn’s fanbase is massive. Brown hasn’t played a game in front of those fans yet, but he’s already seen it during spring practice and at events he’s been to with head coach Alex Golesh.
He described the fanbase as welcoming and said that has continued into his seventh month on campus.
“The first month, first two months, you expect that,” Brown said. “I’m going on month seven, and they’re still saying, ‘Welcome to Auburn, we’re glad to have you here.’”
Brown got to experience that even in a trip back to his former home this week. Before spending his day talking to the media on Tuesday, Brown joined Golesh and a handful of other prominent figures for a stop in Tampa on the AMBUSH tour on Monday night.
That night ended with a trip to Meat Market, a steakhouse in Tampa that Golesh said Brown picked out.
Brown’s return to Tampa was another part of his story at SEC Media Days. He expressed gratitude toward USF and his time there, saying the big games he played with the Bulls helped prepare him for his next chapter at Auburn.
A lot like Golesh, Brown was confident, but never arrogant. He said the right things, but never sounded scripted or robotic.
Confidence was the word repeatedly used by Golesh when talking about Brown’s improvements since he arrived at Auburn. The way Brown talked about his teammates backed up Golesh’s statements about Brown’s confidence.
“The talent we have here is phenomenal," Brown said. “I can’t wait to play with those guys. And, I mean, I think they’d say the same thing: We can’t wait to just go out there and play football.”
As a quarterback, Brown is somewhat of an extension of Golesh on the field. He’s the one in charge of executing the offense called by Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon.
Off the field, the same seems to be true. It’s not surprise that Brown is often Auburn’s representative when a player is needed for a public event. He’s Auburn’s leader in the locker room and also the face of the program in Year 1 under Golesh.
There are no wins and losses awarded for SEC Media Day performances, however. That was true when Golesh held his press conference and remained true when Brown addressed the media.
Brown still has a lot to prove on the field at Auburn and won’t get the chance to do that until Sept. 5. But like his head coach, Brown didn’t seem bothered by the newfound attention.
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For a freshman, Auburn's DeShawn Spencer just 'looks different'
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
Ryan Coleman-Williams wasted no time becoming a household name in college football at just 17 years old, especially early in his freshman season at Alabama in 2024.
His replacement at Saraland High School is now at Auburn. Originally a running back in his first two seasons at Saraland, DeShawn Spencer switched to receiver after Williams reclassified and signed with Alabama.
All Spencer did in replacing Coleman-Williams was post more than 2,900 receiving yards and total touchdowns across his last two seasons.
"We breed workhorses (at Saraland)," Coleman-Williams said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "... All of the results will show for themselves, just like they did at the end of (Spencer's) season last year, and just like they will in this upcoming season, I believe."
Spencer was not a 5-star recruit like Williams. He was a 3-star who, at one point, was silently committed to Alex Golesh at USF before flipping to Duke. Golesh said earlier this offseason that, when Golesh arrived in Auburn's building with receivers coach Kodi Burns, Spencer was on his official visit that weekend, and had "a big ol' grin" on his face.
So Golesh has been aware of Spencer's talent for quite some time. And the freshman – who earned offensive MVP at the A-Day spring game — continues to garner attention in Auburn's offense, despite all the experience brought into that receiving corps via USF transfers.
"I'm curious to see DeShawn Spencer this fall in camp," Golesh said during a chat with Auburn reporters Monday in Tampa, before SEC Media Days. "DeShawn had a good spring. Mind you, he just turned 18 years old two weeks ago. He had a good spring, and you go to the spring game, and he looks like what you saw on high-school film. He was doing that at Saraland, but now that it's tackle and there are people in the stands (at Jordan-Hare Stadium). And he's got a real uniform on — he looks different."
Spencer took advantage of an injury to USF transfer Christian Neptune in the spring and emerged as Auburn's No. 2 option in the slot, behind veteran Chas Nimrod. The 5-foot-11 freshman earned offensive MVP at A-Day with nine catches for 93 yards. Golesh called that his best practice of the entire spring.
Could there be more opportunities coming for "Shawn Shawn?" Golesh is continuing to challenge his receiving corps to be more consistent. Fifth-year senior Chas Nimrod is the veteran leader, but Golesh said he needs fellow USF transfers Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger — projected starters — to step up. If they don't, Golesh wondered aloud whether some of the younger players in the room could work their way into the rotation.
If Spencer is able to get on the field and get some reps in this offense, he's more than capable of making an impact, as he showed in the spring.
"Shawn Shawn has a tremendous process, and that's why he went out there and did what he did in the A-Day game," quarterback Byrum Brown said at SEC Media Days. "I'm truly excited to see what he'll go out there and do for us. He will be a key contributor to this Auburn offense, for sure."
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Auburn's Champ Anthony says being healthy is one of his goals for 2026
By Jac Myrick
Auburn Wire
Auburn senior defensive back Champ Anthony represented the Auburn Tigers' defense at the 2026 SEC Media Days and commented on his goals for the upcoming season.
Day two of the 2026 SEC Media Days opened with the Auburn Tigers taking the stage. Head coach Alex Golesh, quarterback Byrum Brown, kicker Alex McPherson and defensive back Champ Anthony. No one expected the senior defensive back to be at the event to represent the Tigers; instead, many had defensive All-SEC and All-American Xavier Atkins as the one sent to Tampa.
Anthony isn't a household name, at least like he should be, due to back-to-back broken legs in 2024 and 2025. Golesh and many others have pinned him as a vocal leader in the locker room. A former junior college transfer and zero-star recruit now sits in a room full of reporters at one of the biggest college media events.
He fully understands the journey that his football career and life have taken. The word grateful sums up who Anthony is as a man, and it was very clear why Golesh has sung his praises this offseason. While Auburn has goals of setting a standard and foundation for the future under Golesh, Anthony has his own personal ones that he touched on at the media event Tuesday, July 21.
"I want to finish the whole season healthy, play good, and just allow myself to be the best version of myself for the team," Anthony said. "Like I said, just complete the full season and just be the ball player I know I can be. We have a great medical staff around us, surrounding us, so I'm just leaning on them."
A piece, if healthy, can make a highlight reel of big hits in the secondary. Whatever the outcome, Anthony will find a way to support this team in the fall either on or off.
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Auburn Commit Wins Kicking National Champion Honors
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
With Alex McPherson in his final year with the Auburn Tigers, there have been some concerns about how the Tigers will move on from him. After all, when McPherson was sidelined with a gastrointestinal issue in 2024, the Tigers’ kicking suffered immensely, begging the question: who is next?
Alex Golesh, the newest head coach of the Tigers, seems to have found an answer to that question in class of 2027 commit Noah Ash, who recently won Kohl’s Kicking National Champion honors alongside uncommitted kicker Peter Hagey, both of whom made 61-yarders to earn the honor.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2078986479364166082
For those who are unfamiliar with Ash, he is a five-star kicker according to Kohl’s Professional Camps, which is considered one of the best-ranking groups for kickers, as well as a four-and-a-half-star punter, though he will likely stick to kicking when he makes his way to the Plains, as the Tigers tend to prefer Australian-style punters.
Ash committed to the Tigers on June 1, and to this day, he is still ranked as the No. 2 kicker in the country by 247Sports, which only lists him as a three-star. Special teamers often do not get their flowers in rankings, but Ash’s potential impact on the Plains cannot be understated.
After all, the Tigers have boasted some of the best kickers in the country over the past decade, including the Carlson brothers, Daniel and Anders, both of whom signed to NFL teams out of college, though Anders has now moved to the UFL after a bit of a rough stint in the NFL.
Daniel, the older of the two, is the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in points scored with over 400, and continues to kick for the Las Vegas Raiders to this day. He also holds 14 unique Auburn kicking records and was a two-time SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.
From the younger Carlson, the team moved to McPherson, the younger brother of former Florida turned Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who will contend for an all-time FBS record for field goal make percentage during 2026 before almost certainly ending up in the NFL after this season.
So, the stage is set for Ash, who is looking to join the long line of Auburn kicking dominance as he heads to the Plains in 2027, though he will be a true freshman in the Tigers’ first year without McPherson. If the Tigers decide to lean on the prospect touted as the ‘strongest kickoff leg in the country’ in 2027, Ash will have the pressure of many great kickers before him to live up to. However, as his National Championship win shows, he does not have any issues with pressure.
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‘He’s the heartbeat of our defense:’ Champ Anthony Talks Auburn DC DJ Durkin
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
Amidst a long stretch of disappointing Auburn Tiger football seasons, one aspect of the team has remained relatively consistent: top-level defense. The Tigers, led by defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, have boasted some of the best defenses in the country, most notably in 2025, when the Tigers allowed fewer than 24 points in all but two of their games.
On Tuesday, one of Durkin’s own, DB Champ Anthony, took to the stand during SEC Media Days to talk just how important Durkin is to the Tigers’ defense, as well as how he managed to retain most of the Tigers’ defense amidst a head coaching change.
“It was what everybody thinks it was,” Anthony said. “Coach Durk stayed, so we stayed. Like, Coach Durk, he’s the heartbeat of our defense. He’s a guy who motivates us day in and day out, no matter what. He’s the same person; he’s the same man, and you got to commemorate a man like that in college football. You don’t see a lot of real men like that.”
Durkin has been an instrumental part of Auburn’s football program, let alone its defense, since he was hired in 2024, and even spent a short stint as the Tigers’ interim head coach in between the Freeze fire and subsequent Golesh hire. Under Durkin, the Tigers were 1-2, as they beat Mercer but lost to Vanderbilt and Alabama.
However, under Durkin, the Tigers took a massive step in the right direction, taking both the Commodores and the Crimson Tide down to the wire, and before Golesh was hired, there was a genuine case for him to be the next full-time head coach of the program. Instead, Golesh was hired, and one of his first orders of business was to make sure that Durkin stuck around for his tenure.
Golesh replaced just about every other coach on the roster, particularly on offense, but Durkin and his group stayed put, as, well, the Tigers’ defense was not an issue last year. It kept a flailing Auburn offense in games that they, frankly, had no business being in, and now, coupled with a Golesh-led offense, the Tigers could be a dark horse to make a deep run during a grueling SEC schedule.
Many are saying that this season will come down to Golesh’s offense, with little concern for how the defense will look, which is an incredible testament to just how good Auburn’s defense has been under Durkin. With endorsements like this from a key leader of his group, it is easy to see why Auburn players love playing for him, as well as why they play and develop so well.
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A top Auburn candidate, Sumrall says it was 'non-negotiable' to continue coaching Tulane
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
For weeks, it felt like Jon Sumrall was the leading candidate to become Auburn's next coach. Instead, the Tigers will now face him in the SEC this fall under Alex Golesh.
Auburn247 reported many times during the program's coaching search to replace Hugh Freeze that Sumrall, an Alabama native leading Tulane to a CFP appearance, was one of, if not the favorite name in the process for Auburn athletic director John Cohen.
But in the last couple weeks of Auburn's search, Sumrall's name faded, and Auburn ultimately circled back to Golesh, who was one of its first interviews of the coaching search. Sumrall was hired at Florida, coinciding with Lane Kiffin's decision to choose LSU.
There was a reason that, as the Iron Bowl drew closer, Auburn's search felt like it was coming to a close. That was Cohen's intention: to get his new hire in place as quickly as possible. Golesh was in the building meeting with the Tigers the Sunday he was hired, less than 24 hours after the Iron Bowl.
If Auburn had gone with Sumrall, that wouldn't have been the case.
"Non-negotiable," Sumrall said Wednesday at SEC Media Days, when asked about Florida allowing him to continue to coach the Green Wave as compared to other programs courting him. "I don't care what the offer was on the other side, if somebody had said, 'We need you to take this job and do it on our terms with how you finish at Tulane,' the answer was not no — it was hell no. (Tulane) has given me so much. I wasn't going to walk out of that situation the wrong way."
"... If somebody wanted me to fly back and forth every day during game prep for a conference championship, wasn't happening."
Sumrall continued to coach Tulane through the postseason after being hired by Florida. Tulane beat North Texas to win the American Athletic Conference title game before losing at Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Sumrall officially left Tulane and was at Florida full time 21 days after the conclusion of the regular season. Again, that was not a requirement by Cohen by any means, but he very obviously preferred the idea of having a head coach in place right away. At the time, Cohen said he would expect most, if not all of Auburn's coaching candidates would have their team in a bowl game or the postseason, but the hope from Auburn was still that the hire would be in place, on campus "as quickly as possible" following the regular season.
"I would love to have a head coach within 24 hours after the Iron Bowl is over," Cohen said during a conversation with Auburn247 in November. "... That's kind of the X-factor for us. That's my goal and the reason that's my goal is that our players need to know who their leader is going to be. We need to know what the portal is going to look like. We need to have a nice early signing period for our high school players."
Many of the new SEC hires now find themselves interconnected from this past coaching cycle. When Kiffin began leaning toward LSU, Sumrall pivoted to Florida. That led Auburn back to Golesh, who was reported to be the top candidate at Arkansas. With him off the board, the Razorbacks hired Memphis' Ryan Silverfield.
Auburn will face all three of those new coaches this coming season, including a highly anticipated SEC opener against Florida, Week 3 in Jordan-Hare Stadium (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).
Golesh and Sumrall met only once in their time coaching together in the American conference — a 45-10 loss for USF in 2024.
"Alex and I are good friends," Sumrall said.
'I just want to be Byrum Brown': Auburn's new QB makes his unofficial SEC debut:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/byrum-brown-auburn-tigers-football-sec-media-days-2026-288454226/
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown shares Cam Newton's advice ahead of Tigers debut:
https://flywareagle.com/auburn-quarterback-byrum-brown-shares-cam-newton-advice-ahead-tigers-debut
Our favorite quotes from Auburn players at SEC Media Days:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/longformarticle/auburn-tigers-football-sec-media-days-quotes-2026-288453275/#2843442
Auburn football notebook: Alex Golesh outlined his offseason observations at SEC Media Days:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/07/auburn-football-notebook-alex-golesh-outlined-his-offseason-observations-at-sec-media-days.html
Alex Golesh faces Auburn's harsh recruiting reality in rebuild:
https://flywareagle.com/alex-golesh-faces-auburn-harsh-recruiting-reality-rebuild
Auburn Kicker Alex McPherson Details Culture Change From 2025 to 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-kicker-alex-mcpherson-details-culture-change-from-2025-to-2026
Byrum Brown Talks Importance of USF Transfer Receivers for Auburn Football in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/byrum-brown-talks-importance-of-usf-transfer-recievers-for-auburn-football-2026
Byrum Brown Shares His Definition of a Successful Auburn Football Season:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/byrum-brown-shares-his-definition-of-a-successful-auburn-football-season
How Byrum Brown is adjusting to the increased attention at Auburn:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/07/how-byrum-brown-is-adjusting-to-the-increased-attention-at-auburn.html
For a freshman, Auburn's DeShawn Spencer just 'looks different':
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/deshawn-spencer-auburn-football-wide-receiver-freshman-2026-288459486/
Auburn's Champ Anthony says being healthy is one of his goals for 2026:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/07/22/sec-media-days-auburn-football-champ-anthony-health/91001563007/
Auburn Commit Wins Kicking National Champion Honors:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-commit-wins-kicking-national-champion-honors-noah-ash
‘He’s the heartbeat of our defense:’ Champ Anthony Talks Auburn DC DJ Durkin:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/he-s-the-heartbeat-of-our-defense-champ-anthony-talks-dj-durkin
A top Auburn candidate, Sumrall says it was 'non-negotiable' to continue coaching Tulane:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/jon-sumrall-florida-auburn-coaching-search-2026-288456896/
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'I just want to be Byrum Brown': Auburn's new QB makes his unofficial SEC debut
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
Byrum Brown could not hide his excitement — the kind that would overtake any quarterback who grew up watching Cam Newton — when he got to meet the Auburn legend, national champion and Heisman winner before a spring scrimmage in late March.
Newton jokingly snuck up behind Brown before embracing him, with Alex Golesh mediating. Newton is one of the most physically impressive athletes to ever play the position in college football, but standing side by side, Brown doesn't give up much size to him.
What Newton said to Auburn's new QB that day was simple. But for Brown, it was profound, and it reinforced his mindset about his opportunity in his final college season.
"Go out there and be you," Brown recalled of Newton's message. "Go be a dog like you were (at USF), and you'll lead this team to wins, too.
Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Brown fielded a lot of his questions about his time at USF and how he thinks that can translate to the Power Four level. With most people seeing him in person for the first time, a reporter in the main room called him "baby Cam." Another reporter asked him if he thinks his skill set compares to Jalen Hurts.
Brown took all those questions in stride, nodding and flashing his signature smile. But after three seasons of starting in Golesh's offense, he knows who he is at this point. And although the challenge of transferring in to Auburn and the SEC is large, Brown only knows one way to go about it.
"I just want to be Byrum Brown," said Auburn's fifth-year senior QB. "That's all I can be. I want to be the best version of him."
Brown has assimilated the best way he can. Golesh took him out on the road just a few weeks after he arrived on campus to meet Auburn alumni at events across the state. He's tried the Toomer's lemonade and called it "phenomenal." He was a no-doubt selection to represent the team at media days and will surely be a team captain. As Auburn has desperately craved a dynamic quarterback after years of suffering on offense, Brown has rapidly (and expectedly) become one of, if not the most popular player on this new team.
Brown spent time Tuesday talking about what USF meant to him, playing for four years down the road at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa became his new home after growing up in North Carolina, it's where he met Golesh, and where he made a name for himself as a college quarterback.
But make no mistake: Brown is all Auburn.
"I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet," Brown said. "... You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
Auburn fans aren't the only ones excited to, presumably, have more competent QB play.
"He's the most quarterback quarterback I've ever been around," defensive back Champ Anthony said. "He walks, talks and does everything like a quarterback. … I don't even have to look at the offensive side of the ball. I don't have to. I know Byrum is gonna have them straight. I just really can't wait to see him play."
Anthony then smiled: "I'm a fan, too."
Brown's numbers at the USF level were undeniably great. Last season, he became one of only 12 players in college football history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 more in a single season. He's the maestro of Golesh's offense, and has been since 2023.
But steady growth has been key for Brown in his career, particularly as a passer, and that had to continue at Auburn. He was an immediate spark and leader in the spring, but he also had a clunky A-Day spring game, with two interceptions. Of course, he was in a non-contact jersey and could be tagged down by a defensive lineman's pinky.
Golesh said he's only grown more confident about Brown's abilities this offseason. Brown said that's directly correlated to his new team.
"Knowing that I'm going against the best defense in the country every single day — not everybody has the opportunity," Brown said."I can't wait to go on Saturdays and play against another defense, because they give us some looks that are fun at times and not fun at times.
"But it's truly a blessing. And I think going against the best defense in the country helps you build confidence every single day."
Wondering how a heavily USF-flavored offense — with Golesh and coordinator Joel Gordon working in tandem to run the system, plus other assistant coaches and 11 transfers — will be able to produce against SEC competition every week is a worthwhile question.
But the Tigers have more familiarity on that side of the ball than even some teams and coaching staffs that were already in the conference. For Brown — who said the word "process" approximately 1,000 times Tuesday — he finds comfort in knowing all Golesh is asking him to do at Auburn is be who he is and who he's been for three years.
"It's about doing the exact same thing and the exact same process week to week," Brown said. "What we were doing at the last institution is exactly what we'll be doing at this new institution. Much larger scale, but it's football at the end of the day."
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Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown shares Cam Newton's advice ahead of Tigers debut
By Mary Kate Hughes
Fly War Eagle
After five years of mediocre football and the apparent inability to find a quarterback that can get the job done, Auburn football fans are hopeful that things will change and improve with the arrival of Byrum Brown.
The former USF quarterback is heading into his fourth season under head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, so while a lot of the team will have to learn a new offensive system, things should be very familiar to Brown. Brown's knowledge of Golesh's and Gordon's system, plus Brown's documented success last season at USF, are just a couple reasons why fans are so hopeful that Brown will lead the Tigers to victory.
But if he's feeling the pressure, Brown didn't show it at SEC Media Days earlier this week. He pointed to advice from a legend, former Auburn football quarterback and Heisman winner Cam Newton, to show how he's approaching his job on the Plains.
"Go out there and be you," Brown recalled of Newton's message, per Auburn 247. "Go be a dog like you were (at USF), and you'll lead this team to wins, too.
The pair met when Newton visited Auburn for a scrimmage earlier this spring, and Brown has drawn many comparisons to Newton as the media discuss his transition from USF to Power 4 football. But Brown is staying true to himself and taking Newton's advice to heart ahead of his Auburn Tigers debut and final season of college football.
"I just want to be Byrum Brown," said Auburn's fifth-year senior QB. "That's all I can be. I want to be the best version of him."
From trying the famous Toomer's Lemonade to hitting the road with Golesh to meet with alumni to taking photos with fans during appearances at Auburn baseball games earlier in the summer, Brown has done his best to fully embrace the Auburn culture and become part of the Auburn family. Although Brown says that USF was instrumental in his development as a player, he's all in on the Tigers.
"I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet," Brown said. "... You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
Brown and Golesh will get their first chance to prove themselves to the Auburn family in Atlanta when the Tigers take on the Baylor Bears on September 5.
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Our favorite quotes from Auburn players at SEC Media Days
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
It's difficult not to have a successful time at SEC Media Days, and Auburn's representation in Tampa — quarterback Byrum Brown, defensive back Champ Anthony and kicker Alex McPherson — exuded confidence on Tuesday about the state of the program under new head coach Alex Golesh.
Here's a collection of some of our favorites from Auburn's trio, exactly two weeks before the start of fall camp in the first week of August.
QB BYRUM BROWN
On what it means to him to be Auburn's new quarterback …
"(Kodi Burns) played receiver and quarterback and was on the national championship team with Cam. He's expressed that Auburn means something. I've had conversations with him about it. It truly means something to him. To be a part of that now, it means something to me. So I can't wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet."
On already having played some Power Four teams at USF …
"It will for sure help. Now it's about doing the exact same thing and the exact same process week to week. What we were doing at the last institution is exactly what we'll be doing at this new institution. Much larger scale, but it's football at the end of the day."
On beating Florida on the road last season …
"To pull it out was incredible. It was early in the season, and it allowed us to have that level of confidence the rest of the way. It added confidence to each and every single day, knowing that any game is within reach, especially if you stick to your process."
On Alex Golesh inviting former players back …
"We get a little insight on how other guys viewed their time at Auburn and as Auburn men. It definitely puts things into perspective. You play at Auburn University, but it's much bigger than you. You're playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy."
On how he's grown from the first day he got to Auburn …
"The confidence level's growing a tremendous amount. You got a tremendous defense that we go against each and every day at practice. So seeing those looks and becoming confident in those looks, and knowing that I'm going against the best defense in the country every single day, not everybody has the opportunity. I can't wait to go on Saturdays and play against another defense, because they give us some looks that are fun at times and not fun at times. But it's truly a blessing. And I think going against the best defense in the country helps you build confidence every single day."
On transferring from USF …
"Coach Golesh, he's had a tremendous amount of confidence in me since I was 18. Handed the reins over to me. And then (when) I got hurt, he poured into me even more, had more confidence in me. I mean, when you go through the ups and go through the downs, having a coach that's being there by your side, it means a lot. And I definitely took that into consideration. And why not go play for the man that has demanded the very best of me since I got there?"
On what a successful season looks like for Auburn …
"A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best and going out there and playing and — we don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome. Hopefully it's a favorable one, but it's just working each and every day, and that started in January. And it's continuing now, going to continue into fall camp."
DB CHAMP ANTHONY
On his position versatility in Auburn's secondary …
"It's a week-by-week thing. I play where I'm needed that week. Different teams have different schemes, and they run plays different ways. And I have a skill set to where I can play all five. I can play boundary, free, star and corner. So wherever I'm needed at that week, that's where I'll play."
On Auburn's 2025 signees in the secondary ...
"It's not very often you see three freshmen get real burn, especially at DB. DB is a hard position and we had three freshmen that got real burn last year. Blake going down on third downs, AnQuon started a couple of games, and Eric started a couple games too. And those guys have just taken a real huge leap and they got stronger, bigger and faster. So I can't wait to see them guys succeed."
On his journey from JUCO to Auburn, with injuries along the way ...
"It's crazy, but I always knew I was going to be here. I always knew. In my heart of hearts I knew I was going to be playing on the biggest stage in college football and eventually playing in the NFL. I just thank God for allowing me to be able to make it and see through my dreams."
On why he stayed at Auburn through another coaching change ...
"When I first got recruited here, Coach Crime was like the main person who recruited me. He told me, 'If you treat Auburn right, Auburn will treat you right — and you'll be set for the rest of your life.' And I truly believe that, and I've seen it in other people's lives. The people that I have met, the things I've learned here at Auburn, I wouldn't have learned them any other place. I wouldn't have it any other way. Just because you're going through some stuff doesn't mean you've got to change your scenery."
On his role in the secondary ...
"Somebody's gotta do the hard hitting. My goal in every game is make the first crack. Who's gonna pop something first? That's my goal going into every game. Having a violent secondary, it makes receivers and running backs and everybody feel uncomfortable. You gotta have some guys out there who really enjoy putting pain on people."
On Sylvester Smith-Reed and Kaleb Harris both being back at safety ...
"Those two guys, they don't get enough life. Like, Auburn family, we've got to show them a lot more love. Kaleb Harris, like, he is the general back there. He runs the defense back there. Yeah, people see me as a vocal leader and all that. But Juke (Harris)? He's the guy who makes sure the defense is lined up. He makes sure the checks are going on. He's a very vocal leader. And Sly, he just brings that energy. Me and Sly are always racing to the first play. We're always seeing who's getting to the ball first, who's making the biggest hit, who's making the most splash plays. That competitiveness right there with all three of us, and then we've got some young guys are coming up right under us who are ready to go — they're ready to go, too."
On his impressions of Alex Golesh ...
"Coach Golesh is my type of guy — not afraid to say whatever, not afraid to do whatever. And he allows me to say whatever and do whatever. He has that fire. Everybody has that fire. We've got something to prove, and we're ready to prove it together. It's not one guy trying to go get one thing; it's a bunch of guys trying to get it. I really appreciate Coach Golesh and the fire he brought back to Auburn. I know you hear it in interviews, and I know you hear it like I do. When you combine him with a guy like Coach Durkin, with maximum energy every single day — he's probably somewhere yelling right now. You put those two together, it's a great scene we're gonna have."
K ALEX MCPHERSON
On where his strength is at right now ...
"I would say whatever they really need me out there for, I think I can do it at this point. We kicked yesterday before I actually got on the plane to come here, and we made a 60-yarder as a unit. So I think wherever you need me, I think at this point I'm confident in from kicking, distance-wise. And just excited to have that strength back."
On his reaction to being selected for media days ...
"I was kind of shocked. I don't think many kickers or punters get to do this. I was honored and just so grateful to be able to come and that he would trust me to represent this team. And just a huge honor. He told me I deserved it, and building that relationship with Coach Golesh, getting to really know him and his family over these past few months since he's gotten there, and it's such an honor — coming from him especially. He holds the players to a high standard. And to be able to represent us here is just such an honor."
On new special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski ...
"Coach Bro is a guy that's going to get you fired up to play special teams, which I don't think many guys can do. And he's going to put the best guys out there that can make the plays. And he just brings an excitement piece to special teams. And he's actually different. He's a specialist coach as well. He's not another positions coach. He does special teams and then he coaches us, the kickers, punters and snappers. So having him around the whole time, it's different. It's really cool to kind of pick his brain on why we do things instead of just do it."
On competing with the entire team in workouts ...
I" just knew that this offseason was a big offseason for me. I knew I needed to get bigger and stronger. And I just kind of wanted to do everything else that everybody else was doing. It's also a new staff, new team. You kind of want to prove that you belong there, you know? And I feel like that's kind of what I was trying to do. I was just glad to be able to do that. I wasn't able to do that some of the off seasons. Just to be able to be out there, I was just grateful for the opportunity to work out and run with the guys."
On his motivation while recovering from his illness ...
"I would say just playing with your guys. You hang out with them every day, you're always around them, you're always with them. And when you can go out there and play with them alongside of them and for them, it's kind of what keeps you going. I think just to be able to get back out there and try and play with them again is kind of one thing that kept me going."
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Auburn football notebook: Alex Golesh outlined his offseason observations at SEC Media Days
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football coach Alex Golesh emphasized the importance of the Tigers’ 15 practices leading up to the Aflac Kickoff Game against Baylor.
With players reporting for fall camp on Aug. 4, Golesh reflected at SEC Media Days on several trends he has seen from his team during the spring and summer.
Here are Golesh’s three offseason takeaways:
Leadership emerging ahead of fall camp
Auburn has not officially announced its team captains for the fall season. However, Golesh has kept track of the players who are trending in that direction as leaders of the team.
“Risen as a leader — I think we’ve continued to try to enhance the guys that we kind of thought. I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t still pushing guys," Golesh said.
When asked about which players have risen as leaders, Golesh listed players on both offense and defense.
“I think Byrum has come into his own, more and more. Offensively, Cole Best continues to be a really, really good leader for us. Kind of always has been. Chas Nimrod has come out of his shell, which I think is awesome to see. I think he’s realizing, ‘Man, I’ve got one more year.’
“Defensively, Rayshawn Pleasant has grown so much as a leader. He’s gotten more and more confidence, so he’s been able to speak up more and lead by example. Cody Sigler continues to lead by example. So, I would say those guys have stood out.”
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas impressing coaches
Sophomore linebacker Bryce Deas has drawn more praise from Golesh this week at media days than any other player.
Playing more as a rotation player in 2025, Deas finished his freshman campaign with 12 tackles and two tackles for loss while also showing off his elite coverage abilities on the outside.
Golesh believes the work he’s seen from Deas this summer will pay off tremendously come fall camp.
“When the coaches get away and you see guys organically start to grow, it’s been cool to see. Like a Bryce Deas — he’s got some really cool leadership ability, and he’s gotten more confidence," Golesh said. “At the same time, he’s had an incredible summer in the weight room. You’re starting to see all of that come together.”
Players building chemistry through offseason activities
As SEC commissioner Greg Sankey introduced Golesh at media days, he mentioned how the Tigers coach has a lake behind his new home in Auburn.
When talking about the team’s connectivity this summer, Golesh talked about how his home has served as a gathering place for players to build their relationships.
“As a whole, I’ve seen them, more than anything, come together this summer,” Golesh said. “That’s the part that I think you’re nervous about, going into Year 1, because you really don’t know how it’s going to navigate.
“Summer really is the time where they have more time. They have time to kind of make a choice of what do I do when workouts are over? Go home, play the game? Or grab a couple of guys and — as much as I don’t want them to go shoot hoops — go shoot hoops. Go fish. Had a bunch of them in my backyard fishing. You’re start to see different guys getting together or going and grabbing lunch together."
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Alex Golesh faces Auburn's harsh recruiting reality in rebuild
By Mary Kate Hughes
Fly War Eagle
The Auburn football program is on a rebuilding mission, and it's no secret that new head coach Alex Golesh had a great challenge in front of him when he took the job on the Plains.
Golesh knew that Auburn football fans were hungry for success, and that he was going to have to convince recruits that success could, in fact, be found on the Plains. But the extent of his challenge only hit him when he got on the road to start recruiting in high schools.
"That's where it really hit me," Golesh said Tuesday at SEC media days, per ESPN. "When I'm talking to a high school junior, the last time Auburn had a winning season, the kid was in sixth grade."
Since starting his tenure with the Tigers, Golesh has been realistic but optimistic when it comes to talking about the rebuild. Only so much can be expected from a first-year staff who mostly inherited its first recruiting class and must work to transition the culture, the playbook and more before the season starts in the fall.
But Golesh has insisted he only took the job on the Plains in the first place because he believes that Auburn is a program that can be returned to the relevance and glory of the past.
"How many other places can say that there's still 88,000 in the stadium every week through that?" Golesh said in a previous Fly War Eagle article. "How many places can say there's 40,000 for a spring game after all of that? Are the fans tired? Yeah, they're tired. I have met with every big money donor in the last six months, and man, they're tired. They're sick of it. But they're still willing to help. They're still willing to be involved, which is why I took this job — because I felt like you genuinely can do it."
While the head coach had a little more flexibility with his rebuild timeline at South Florida, Golesh said he's aware of the impatience on the Plains.
"My mindset is I want to do it for the long haul, where at [USF] we tried to set it up to peak in Year 3, 4, 5," Golesh said. "But I think I feel just a hair more pressure to peak earlier than that."
The first Auburn football game of the Golesh era will kick off on September 5 when the Tigers take on the Baylor Bears in Atlanta.
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Auburn Kicker Alex McPherson Details Culture Change From 2025 to 2026
By Griffin Barfield
Auburn Tigers on SI
In a world where it’s easy to change programs, Auburn kicker Alex McPherson is the outlier.
He’s been with the Tigers for all of his collegiate career, setting foot on the Plains in 2022. Since then, McPherson has seen three head coaches look to bring the program back to its old standard.
But something is different this time around with head coach Alex Golesh. Players see the energy that he is looking to put into the building, and the kicker noticed that immediately.
“I think we've built a great foundation for the brotherhood of this team,” he said at SEC Media Days, “and I think going into this fall camp it's going to be huge for us to continue to build that and just the relationships with each other and with the coaches.”
The relationship between McPherson and Golesh is one that is already close-knit. It’s not often that a special teams player is selected to an event like SEC Media Days, which took place in Tampa, Fla., but Golesh thought differently about his kicker.
It told McPherson a lot about the person that his head coach is, more importantly.
“He told me I deserved it, and building that relationship with Coach Golesh, getting to really know him and his family over these past few months since he's gotten there, and it's such an honor,” he said, “coming from him especially.”
The SEC will bring ups and downs to Auburn in Golesh’s inaugural season, but McPherson believes that his team can compete with the best in the conference. Coming from last season, former head coach Hugh Freeze continued to bring in top high school talent and supplemental transfer pieces helped aid that.
Auburn couldn’t put it all together, which led to his firing. However, with Golesh, the bonds make for a higher floor in 2026.
“I would just say the relationship part of the team,” McPherson said. ‘I think we have the talent. Coach AG and the rest of the staff have really pushed the relationship piece of it.”
The Tigers’ schedule is filled with loaded opponents, including a season-opener against Baylor in Atlanta that could define how Auburn is looked at for the remainder of the season. Golesh spoke about what his goals are for his inaugural season, and McPherson will be one of the team’s leaders to help embody that.
“Just to be able to hold one another accountable, lift one another up, things like that,” he said.
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Byrum Brown Talks Importance of USF Transfer Receivers for Auburn Football in 2026
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
The Auburn Tigers underwent a mass exodus after Hugh Freeze was fired in 2025, losing three of the ‘Freeze Four,’ a top-rated group of receivers that were recruited by Freeze and were expected to be the future of Auburn’s receiving core.
Alex Golesh, the Tigers’ newest head coach, reloaded the room in something of a rush early in his tenure, filling the room with five USF transfers.
Of course, Golesh has been the head coach at USF for the past few seasons, so his receivers are already familiar with his scheme, his expectations and, potentially most importantly, his quarterback, Byrum Brown. On Tuesday, during SEC Media Days, Brown detailed the importance of the new-look Auburn receiving core.
“It's huge,” he said. “With our guys, you put it anywhere, they go get it. I mean, they've been working their tails off. They've been in the weight room. They've been on the JUGS. They're going up watching extra film. You can tell that they really want it. It's one cohesive unit. It's not just one guy; it's more than one. So they're bringing others along with it. And that's building that connection and that trust piece. So that trust from quarterback to wide receiver is huge.”
Golesh didn’t bring over just any receivers, either; he brought over four of the Bulls’ top-five recievers by total yards past year, including both of the top two. Last year, the Bulls’ room was led by Keshaun Singleton, who hauled in 50 Byrum Brown passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns, good for an average of 17.5 yards per reception.
The Bulls’ second-leading receiver, Jeremiah Koger, also made the trip to the Plains ahead of this season. Last year, he caught 38 passes for 597 yards, averaging 15.7 yards per reception while tying Singleton in total touchdowns with eight. Mudia Rueben, the Bulls’ WR3, did not make the trip to the Plains, but WR4 and WR5 by total stats, Chas Nimrod and Christian Neptune, are now sporting the orange and blue.
Nimrod, specifically, has high expectations headed into the season by way of his quarterback, who asserted that Nimrod will break 1,000 receiving yards in this season alone, a feat that has not been achieved by an Auburn receiver since 1999. This goes to show the connection between Brown and Nimrod, as well as his other receivers, runs deep and should make a massive impact on the Tigers’ season this year, particularly in Golesh’s high-flying offense.
The biggest advantage of bringing over a host of transfers from the same program is the fact that there is a high level of familiarity with the scheme, the coaching staff and each other, so, despite the widespread fear among fans that this group will not be able to acclimate to the SEC, the team’s confidence seems to be off the charts headed into 2026.
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Byrum Brown Shares His Definition of a Successful Auburn Football Season
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
Amidst all the news about the Auburn Tigers, from transfers to recruiting to preseason narratives, one fact remains unchanged: the Tigers have not put together a winning season since 2020, a whole two coaches ago.
Alex Golesh, the latest head coach of the Tigers, is looking to change that, though his definition of success for 2026 is to build a foundation, not necessarily become a contender right away.
However, his quarterback, Byrum Brown, is in his final year of eligibility, meaning he will not be able to reap the benefits of the foundation his team sets in 2026. So, how does he define success in his first season in the SEC?
On Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Brown shared his thoughts on the topic.
“A successful season looks like taking each and every game, preparing to our absolute best and going out there and playing,” he said. “We don't control the outcome. We just control our process that leads to the outcome. Hopefully it's a favorable one, but it's just working each and every day, and that started in January. And it's continuing now, going to continue into fall camp. And we can't wait to strap it up in fall camp, strap it up for the first week against Baylor and go play.”
Not only is this a great mindset from Brown in terms of winning, but it is also an incredibly selfless one as, essentially, he is looking to provide as much of an impact as he can, both on the field as a player but also off the field as a leader, bolstering the foundation that Golesh has preached over the last few months.
That is not to say the Tigers are not expecting to win games– after all, that is what Golesh needs to do to stay employed–and they certainly have a great lineup to take on any team, in the SEC or anywhere else. Brown is at the center of it all offensively, in both the rushing game and the passing game, and he has proven to be a credible threat in just about any aspect on offense.
Brown passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards last season at USF, a trend that he is surely looking to continue in the SEC. It won’t be easy, but he already has better help than he did last season, especially in the rushing game, which is bolstered by Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington.
So, though Brown is not necessarily focused on running the table in 2026, he is certainly committed to making sure he and his teammates enter each and every game at their peak, ready and waiting to take on any threat that comes their way.
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How Byrum Brown is adjusting to the increased attention at Auburn
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
In front of bright lights and a large crowd of reporters, Byrum Brown took his seat inside the ballroom of the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
It was the final stop of his busy Tuesday at SEC Media Days, but the one that best illustrated the jump in attention he now receives at Auburn compared to his previous school, South Florida.
Brown sat down and greeted the crowd of media members before answering 20 minutes’ worth of questions about every Auburn football topic imaginable.
It marked the end of his first experience on the big stage that being in the SEC brings. Brown spent the last four years playing college football in Tampa, but he might have received more media attention on Tuesday than he did throughout the course of his USF career.
During his media scrum in the main room, Brown was asked about that change. More specifically, he was asked about the idea of increased pressure playing at Auburn compared to USF.
Brown described the change as an increase in attention, but not necessarily pressure.
“I’m just gonna continue to do everything that I’ve been doing for the past four years,” Brown said. “It’s just more eyes on it now, seeing it, so I can’t wait.”
That extra attention went into what Brown said surprised him most since coming to Auburn: the fans.
Compared to a commuter school in the American Conference, Auburn’s fanbase is massive. Brown hasn’t played a game in front of those fans yet, but he’s already seen it during spring practice and at events he’s been to with head coach Alex Golesh.
He described the fanbase as welcoming and said that has continued into his seventh month on campus.
“The first month, first two months, you expect that,” Brown said. “I’m going on month seven, and they’re still saying, ‘Welcome to Auburn, we’re glad to have you here.’”
Brown got to experience that even in a trip back to his former home this week. Before spending his day talking to the media on Tuesday, Brown joined Golesh and a handful of other prominent figures for a stop in Tampa on the AMBUSH tour on Monday night.
That night ended with a trip to Meat Market, a steakhouse in Tampa that Golesh said Brown picked out.
Brown’s return to Tampa was another part of his story at SEC Media Days. He expressed gratitude toward USF and his time there, saying the big games he played with the Bulls helped prepare him for his next chapter at Auburn.
A lot like Golesh, Brown was confident, but never arrogant. He said the right things, but never sounded scripted or robotic.
Confidence was the word repeatedly used by Golesh when talking about Brown’s improvements since he arrived at Auburn. The way Brown talked about his teammates backed up Golesh’s statements about Brown’s confidence.
“The talent we have here is phenomenal," Brown said. “I can’t wait to play with those guys. And, I mean, I think they’d say the same thing: We can’t wait to just go out there and play football.”
As a quarterback, Brown is somewhat of an extension of Golesh on the field. He’s the one in charge of executing the offense called by Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon.
Off the field, the same seems to be true. It’s not surprise that Brown is often Auburn’s representative when a player is needed for a public event. He’s Auburn’s leader in the locker room and also the face of the program in Year 1 under Golesh.
There are no wins and losses awarded for SEC Media Day performances, however. That was true when Golesh held his press conference and remained true when Brown addressed the media.
Brown still has a lot to prove on the field at Auburn and won’t get the chance to do that until Sept. 5. But like his head coach, Brown didn’t seem bothered by the newfound attention.
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For a freshman, Auburn's DeShawn Spencer just 'looks different'
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
Ryan Coleman-Williams wasted no time becoming a household name in college football at just 17 years old, especially early in his freshman season at Alabama in 2024.
His replacement at Saraland High School is now at Auburn. Originally a running back in his first two seasons at Saraland, DeShawn Spencer switched to receiver after Williams reclassified and signed with Alabama.
All Spencer did in replacing Coleman-Williams was post more than 2,900 receiving yards and total touchdowns across his last two seasons.
"We breed workhorses (at Saraland)," Coleman-Williams said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "... All of the results will show for themselves, just like they did at the end of (Spencer's) season last year, and just like they will in this upcoming season, I believe."
Spencer was not a 5-star recruit like Williams. He was a 3-star who, at one point, was silently committed to Alex Golesh at USF before flipping to Duke. Golesh said earlier this offseason that, when Golesh arrived in Auburn's building with receivers coach Kodi Burns, Spencer was on his official visit that weekend, and had "a big ol' grin" on his face.
So Golesh has been aware of Spencer's talent for quite some time. And the freshman – who earned offensive MVP at the A-Day spring game — continues to garner attention in Auburn's offense, despite all the experience brought into that receiving corps via USF transfers.
"I'm curious to see DeShawn Spencer this fall in camp," Golesh said during a chat with Auburn reporters Monday in Tampa, before SEC Media Days. "DeShawn had a good spring. Mind you, he just turned 18 years old two weeks ago. He had a good spring, and you go to the spring game, and he looks like what you saw on high-school film. He was doing that at Saraland, but now that it's tackle and there are people in the stands (at Jordan-Hare Stadium). And he's got a real uniform on — he looks different."
Spencer took advantage of an injury to USF transfer Christian Neptune in the spring and emerged as Auburn's No. 2 option in the slot, behind veteran Chas Nimrod. The 5-foot-11 freshman earned offensive MVP at A-Day with nine catches for 93 yards. Golesh called that his best practice of the entire spring.
Could there be more opportunities coming for "Shawn Shawn?" Golesh is continuing to challenge his receiving corps to be more consistent. Fifth-year senior Chas Nimrod is the veteran leader, but Golesh said he needs fellow USF transfers Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger — projected starters — to step up. If they don't, Golesh wondered aloud whether some of the younger players in the room could work their way into the rotation.
If Spencer is able to get on the field and get some reps in this offense, he's more than capable of making an impact, as he showed in the spring.
"Shawn Shawn has a tremendous process, and that's why he went out there and did what he did in the A-Day game," quarterback Byrum Brown said at SEC Media Days. "I'm truly excited to see what he'll go out there and do for us. He will be a key contributor to this Auburn offense, for sure."
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Auburn's Champ Anthony says being healthy is one of his goals for 2026
By Jac Myrick
Auburn Wire
Auburn senior defensive back Champ Anthony represented the Auburn Tigers' defense at the 2026 SEC Media Days and commented on his goals for the upcoming season.
Day two of the 2026 SEC Media Days opened with the Auburn Tigers taking the stage. Head coach Alex Golesh, quarterback Byrum Brown, kicker Alex McPherson and defensive back Champ Anthony. No one expected the senior defensive back to be at the event to represent the Tigers; instead, many had defensive All-SEC and All-American Xavier Atkins as the one sent to Tampa.
Anthony isn't a household name, at least like he should be, due to back-to-back broken legs in 2024 and 2025. Golesh and many others have pinned him as a vocal leader in the locker room. A former junior college transfer and zero-star recruit now sits in a room full of reporters at one of the biggest college media events.
He fully understands the journey that his football career and life have taken. The word grateful sums up who Anthony is as a man, and it was very clear why Golesh has sung his praises this offseason. While Auburn has goals of setting a standard and foundation for the future under Golesh, Anthony has his own personal ones that he touched on at the media event Tuesday, July 21.
"I want to finish the whole season healthy, play good, and just allow myself to be the best version of myself for the team," Anthony said. "Like I said, just complete the full season and just be the ball player I know I can be. We have a great medical staff around us, surrounding us, so I'm just leaning on them."
A piece, if healthy, can make a highlight reel of big hits in the secondary. Whatever the outcome, Anthony will find a way to support this team in the fall either on or off.
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Auburn Commit Wins Kicking National Champion Honors
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
With Alex McPherson in his final year with the Auburn Tigers, there have been some concerns about how the Tigers will move on from him. After all, when McPherson was sidelined with a gastrointestinal issue in 2024, the Tigers’ kicking suffered immensely, begging the question: who is next?
Alex Golesh, the newest head coach of the Tigers, seems to have found an answer to that question in class of 2027 commit Noah Ash, who recently won Kohl’s Kicking National Champion honors alongside uncommitted kicker Peter Hagey, both of whom made 61-yarders to earn the honor.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2078986479364166082
For those who are unfamiliar with Ash, he is a five-star kicker according to Kohl’s Professional Camps, which is considered one of the best-ranking groups for kickers, as well as a four-and-a-half-star punter, though he will likely stick to kicking when he makes his way to the Plains, as the Tigers tend to prefer Australian-style punters.
Ash committed to the Tigers on June 1, and to this day, he is still ranked as the No. 2 kicker in the country by 247Sports, which only lists him as a three-star. Special teamers often do not get their flowers in rankings, but Ash’s potential impact on the Plains cannot be understated.
After all, the Tigers have boasted some of the best kickers in the country over the past decade, including the Carlson brothers, Daniel and Anders, both of whom signed to NFL teams out of college, though Anders has now moved to the UFL after a bit of a rough stint in the NFL.
Daniel, the older of the two, is the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in points scored with over 400, and continues to kick for the Las Vegas Raiders to this day. He also holds 14 unique Auburn kicking records and was a two-time SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.
From the younger Carlson, the team moved to McPherson, the younger brother of former Florida turned Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who will contend for an all-time FBS record for field goal make percentage during 2026 before almost certainly ending up in the NFL after this season.
So, the stage is set for Ash, who is looking to join the long line of Auburn kicking dominance as he heads to the Plains in 2027, though he will be a true freshman in the Tigers’ first year without McPherson. If the Tigers decide to lean on the prospect touted as the ‘strongest kickoff leg in the country’ in 2027, Ash will have the pressure of many great kickers before him to live up to. However, as his National Championship win shows, he does not have any issues with pressure.
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‘He’s the heartbeat of our defense:’ Champ Anthony Talks Auburn DC DJ Durkin
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
Amidst a long stretch of disappointing Auburn Tiger football seasons, one aspect of the team has remained relatively consistent: top-level defense. The Tigers, led by defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, have boasted some of the best defenses in the country, most notably in 2025, when the Tigers allowed fewer than 24 points in all but two of their games.
On Tuesday, one of Durkin’s own, DB Champ Anthony, took to the stand during SEC Media Days to talk just how important Durkin is to the Tigers’ defense, as well as how he managed to retain most of the Tigers’ defense amidst a head coaching change.
“It was what everybody thinks it was,” Anthony said. “Coach Durk stayed, so we stayed. Like, Coach Durk, he’s the heartbeat of our defense. He’s a guy who motivates us day in and day out, no matter what. He’s the same person; he’s the same man, and you got to commemorate a man like that in college football. You don’t see a lot of real men like that.”
Durkin has been an instrumental part of Auburn’s football program, let alone its defense, since he was hired in 2024, and even spent a short stint as the Tigers’ interim head coach in between the Freeze fire and subsequent Golesh hire. Under Durkin, the Tigers were 1-2, as they beat Mercer but lost to Vanderbilt and Alabama.
However, under Durkin, the Tigers took a massive step in the right direction, taking both the Commodores and the Crimson Tide down to the wire, and before Golesh was hired, there was a genuine case for him to be the next full-time head coach of the program. Instead, Golesh was hired, and one of his first orders of business was to make sure that Durkin stuck around for his tenure.
Golesh replaced just about every other coach on the roster, particularly on offense, but Durkin and his group stayed put, as, well, the Tigers’ defense was not an issue last year. It kept a flailing Auburn offense in games that they, frankly, had no business being in, and now, coupled with a Golesh-led offense, the Tigers could be a dark horse to make a deep run during a grueling SEC schedule.
Many are saying that this season will come down to Golesh’s offense, with little concern for how the defense will look, which is an incredible testament to just how good Auburn’s defense has been under Durkin. With endorsements like this from a key leader of his group, it is easy to see why Auburn players love playing for him, as well as why they play and develop so well.
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A top Auburn candidate, Sumrall says it was 'non-negotiable' to continue coaching Tulane
By Nathan King
Auburn 247
For weeks, it felt like Jon Sumrall was the leading candidate to become Auburn's next coach. Instead, the Tigers will now face him in the SEC this fall under Alex Golesh.
Auburn247 reported many times during the program's coaching search to replace Hugh Freeze that Sumrall, an Alabama native leading Tulane to a CFP appearance, was one of, if not the favorite name in the process for Auburn athletic director John Cohen.
But in the last couple weeks of Auburn's search, Sumrall's name faded, and Auburn ultimately circled back to Golesh, who was one of its first interviews of the coaching search. Sumrall was hired at Florida, coinciding with Lane Kiffin's decision to choose LSU.
There was a reason that, as the Iron Bowl drew closer, Auburn's search felt like it was coming to a close. That was Cohen's intention: to get his new hire in place as quickly as possible. Golesh was in the building meeting with the Tigers the Sunday he was hired, less than 24 hours after the Iron Bowl.
If Auburn had gone with Sumrall, that wouldn't have been the case.
"Non-negotiable," Sumrall said Wednesday at SEC Media Days, when asked about Florida allowing him to continue to coach the Green Wave as compared to other programs courting him. "I don't care what the offer was on the other side, if somebody had said, 'We need you to take this job and do it on our terms with how you finish at Tulane,' the answer was not no — it was hell no. (Tulane) has given me so much. I wasn't going to walk out of that situation the wrong way."
"... If somebody wanted me to fly back and forth every day during game prep for a conference championship, wasn't happening."
Sumrall continued to coach Tulane through the postseason after being hired by Florida. Tulane beat North Texas to win the American Athletic Conference title game before losing at Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Sumrall officially left Tulane and was at Florida full time 21 days after the conclusion of the regular season. Again, that was not a requirement by Cohen by any means, but he very obviously preferred the idea of having a head coach in place right away. At the time, Cohen said he would expect most, if not all of Auburn's coaching candidates would have their team in a bowl game or the postseason, but the hope from Auburn was still that the hire would be in place, on campus "as quickly as possible" following the regular season.
"I would love to have a head coach within 24 hours after the Iron Bowl is over," Cohen said during a conversation with Auburn247 in November. "... That's kind of the X-factor for us. That's my goal and the reason that's my goal is that our players need to know who their leader is going to be. We need to know what the portal is going to look like. We need to have a nice early signing period for our high school players."
Many of the new SEC hires now find themselves interconnected from this past coaching cycle. When Kiffin began leaning toward LSU, Sumrall pivoted to Florida. That led Auburn back to Golesh, who was reported to be the top candidate at Arkansas. With him off the board, the Razorbacks hired Memphis' Ryan Silverfield.
Auburn will face all three of those new coaches this coming season, including a highly anticipated SEC opener against Florida, Week 3 in Jordan-Hare Stadium (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).
Golesh and Sumrall met only once in their time coaching together in the American conference — a 45-10 loss for USF in 2024.
"Alex and I are good friends," Sumrall said.
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